Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/149/1 - March - April 1917 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066649
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

10 wdnt £400 at 5 yards rabb off the er whe had 2 came i his land e lell the germg soldier threw sowe his eifle Lad. after the took this officer abt 56 to pr ans ed be heard to the right rar as to comn onto Tarprese the outpost 74 officer hunt back Let him oer the head. A flare went how hire fir the can without alle te come furter Tes off as th 12 124 Co
14 11 Wurtenburgers Try had called him Hak halteoutwt holdap his hand He besitate as they came from his rear t ws rushed on 207 Deco. There were a Ne Der 0 B31 objec. a deocb th do st back b dobive tro the 2 wece commn the 49 thro 101 See were e aaws ch 2 ob &e the Perman werein like sbeek on slope towards tey court to our night Rene
12 obghll R. is b from tl ot there Abt 179 The bot abb leep lo to not revel 20 C cevent but ve solid tra weds cuckboarded. from Reencoust here Wo ac atenoal fire wh plaged on the par apet &heavy fan fire from Iueant fire m. Th ar so plenging from wlen t far in the
13 bottom 0 were hit by Cunfire HbS very difficult to get common after day light across the space from 15t 2 t the T.O. position our men firestepped whole wh twe it bok had The Serin dejout ed an Aubulance and dayout had a Lerd pessy ande where it know not a uponts just D went Sarter in abt 12 places. some of s people got well towards Rec court on
y right but had back into ten bo the Com 23 in down on End &ou right. We Ab 200 do ai 23C The Ce Co s at Stra 7ht an Light a Mr as te sa 80 th Te Il t0 t 24 son in poud the atends ceh 4e for bomber Se At 9130 15 come Our the E lef ot 2 the c0 dis be b er
59 16 2 bombyup all Startet saps & Ser s ec be seen working in 2 35 dean road thro 23 Centrat He cd be Sle reste troop ap to Hendecourt in motos cars & from there in open formation He moved in Exten Sennater acros open of Hendecourt as 8 the PoS Ws sent from the 11 8 Wenbup it Shot Btimes O Sot back The SOSwx green res 3 Separets een
£a es The ferm into Co they tod desappear from there posseble into tenderged pa te bat torim led de tt othen a out ap dagout out . 10 From 71.80 th began to Set bod The ablack a boud attack him from left sapporiby ie M7 chief from Re court but from every other Plank also h paropes.
18 b The bor le fr. Fa hrom the ton Cercular As t 11 t 48 Bele return. had We all Your 2 on s parapet waiter Brt there we targer to firs at Jerma ae were fir house for attack 16t0 tur 0 f The a be ag t hi road i 6 with a he block burst in ticilar seemed to kit abt t0 a burst 20 men at or allh not was
49 in The Fermans c at Set ew mea asI 7a back Bu Bullecon + Riencourt firet for al this were th Wh worth Contact coent le at over 8 open it o wik innumerable fo The were did S hampes anyone as the You back there ws nothen at first keep their to head& down. At abt 11.30 just before this 51 some ter C + Colle iout li from Mohelghot abt t were seen

29      10  
- it wdnt shoot – at
5 yards; J grabbed
the officer who had a
cane in his hand – cane
fell & the German
soldier threw down his
rifle.
Imd. after they took
this officer abt 50 to 70
Germans cd be heard
to the right rear as tho'
coming on to surprise
the outpost. The officer
hung back & J hit him
over the head. A flare
went up from our
line & the Germans
ran without attempting
to come further.
This offr ws 12 Coy 124th

 

29    11
Wurtemburgers.
They had called him Halt
& he halted but wdnt
hold up his hands. He
hesitated as they came
from his rear – & ws
rushed in 2 or 3 secs.
There were not many
Germans in 1st objve.
– most of them doubled
back to 2nd objve
thro' the numerous
commn trenches.
The 14th got thro second
wire & found many
Germans in 2nd objve.
The Germans were running
like sheep on slope
towards Riencourt & to
our right of Riencourt.

 

29    12
R. is slightly up from
tt trench
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
Got there abt 5.17a.m.
The trench ws abt 9ft
deep in places, not
rivetted – no sign of
cement, but very
solid traverses - wds
duckboarded.
From Riencourt there ws
a continual fire wh
played on the parapet
& heavy gun fire from
Queant. The m.g. fire
ws so plunging – from
so far – tt men in the

 

29   13
bottom o / trench were
hit by gunfire. It ws
very difficult to get commn
after daylight across the
space from 1st trench to the
J.O. position & our
men firestepped whole of the
part wh we took.
The Germans had 1
dugout used as an
ambulance; 2nd dugout
had an undergrd passage
not known where it
went to. Dugouts just
started in abt 12 places.
Some of our people got
well towards Riencourt on

 

14
?
This is
doubted.
Poss. the other
trench to E.
But it is
uncertain.
29 15
right but had to come
back into the trench. Our
men bombed up the
Commn trench in 23c.
& down 2nd trench on left
& on right. We got
abt 200 yds up trench
in 23c. The Germans
came at us there
straight away & the
fight zigzagged according
as we had more bombs
or they. The Germans
had a ½ moon trench
in front of the 2nd trench
wh he afterwds used
for bombing.
Abt 9.30 Germans

 

29    16
started bombing up all
saps – & Germs. cd
be seen working in
2s & 3s down road thro
23 central. He cd be
seen rushing troops up
to Hendecourt in motor
cars & from there in
open formation. He
moved in extended
formatn across the open
S of Hendecourt.
At 8 am. the SOS
ws sent up, & from
then to 11.15 it went up
18 times but no shot
got back. The SOS ws
green red green (3 separate

 

29    17
flares) – The Germans
were massing into
Commn trenches - they
wd disappear from
there possibly into
undergrd passages.
(One Commn trench led
into a dugout & then
up out of the dugout
agn).
From 10 to 11.30 things
began to get bad.
The attack ws a bombing
attack from left & front
supported by m.g. fire
chiefly from Riencourt
but from every other
flank also skimming
the parapet.

 

29    18
The bombing in front ws 

from the Commn trench &
Circular trench.
At 11.45 am. the
Bde retired. We had
all our m.gs on
parapet waiting but
there ws no target to
fire at. Germans were
firing from houses &
attacking thro' trenches.
The Germans turned
a barrage on the Sunken
road & one big gun
with a heavy black
burst in particular
seemed to kill abt 10
or 20 men at a burst
– all k. not wounded.

 

29   19
The Germans ^in the trench did not
get our men as they
ran back. But Bullecourt
& Riencourt fired
for all they were
worth. (When the
contact plane went
over at 7.38 they
opened on it with
innumerable m.gs.)
The wire did not hamper
anyone as they ran.
back – there ws nothing
at first to keep their
heads down. At abt
11.30 just before this
some of the Germans
came out & collected
men from the shellholes
abt 14 were seen marched in.

 

29    20
The 14Bn lost 19 offrs,
561 o.r. mostly
round abt objectives
& betw. 1st & 2nd objves.
Several wd offrs were
brought in.
Our men gradually
withdrew to the Sunken
Rd, & abt 1 p.m.
German shelling died.
Parties were out getting
in wd all ^rest of day till
snow storm. Lieut. Julien
from 52 Bn brought up
50 men & did excellent
work collecting all
afternoon – Germans from
their trench helped by waving
to where the wd were.
At 6p.m. Germs waved

 
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